You'll have to excuse the lack of pics. I forgot to put the SD card in my camera and I can't find the cord.
I'll put them up if i find the cord.
!!!This will not work on pre-77 trucks (correct me here if i am wrong) with the splined column shaft!!! You can however, put a newer column in it without much effort I think.
Don't have the $300 for a Borgeson shaft? Don't want to SPEND $300 for basically the same thing? This is your answer for less than $20 usually. I got mine for $5.
Difficulty level: 3-5 (1-10, 10 being most difficult.)
What you will need:
*Steering shaft (From 1988-96 JEEP CHEROKEE)
*torch or cutoff tool
*beer (optional)
*sockets, wrenches, prybar and stuff.
-11mm 12 point and 15mm 6 point for the original steering shaft
-13mm 6 point for the Jeep shaft
-15mm 6 point, 10mm 6 point, pick, phillips screwdriver, prybar for the square steering column
-AH, you might take a full compliment of things for the Jeep steering column, I can't remember what it takes and the last two I got them from had the columns already removed.
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First off, we need to head to the junkyard and get a steering shaft. You can get one off a 1988-96 JEEP CHEROKEE (squarebody style, not a grand Cherokee, and it has to be from that time period.) that hasn't been wrecked in the front or anything like that.
This is the Jeep shaft next to my S10 shaft, which is basically the same as a squarebody shaft.
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If you can't find one with the column or steering box removed, you're gonna have to take the column or box out yourself since the jeep shafts don't collapse easily. You will probably need the pry bar to take the intermediate shaft off the box or column. Keep the bolts because you will need them.
Next you can get to work installing it in your square. Start by removing your old shaft.
On my 1981, I had to remove the damned steering column because 1) I don't have a torch and didn't want to go to work to get one, plus not everyone has one. You may not have to remove your column and 2) the intermediate shaft had to be taken off with a BFH.
There's a 11mm 12 point bolt holding the shaft to the steering box.
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And a 15mm nut holding the shaft to the column. There's a bolt in there with a squared shoulder and it will want to turn as well. hold it somehow while taking the nut off.
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If the shaft doesn't collapse, then you will need to loosen the steering column, there's 2 15mm nuts holding it up under the dash and 2 15mm nuts holding a plate at the end next to the fire wall under the hood.
Once it's out of the way, you can start modifying the Jeep shaft to fit. You can 1) take a torch and heat up two pieces of plastic that are inside attached to the lower part of the shaft and slide the larger shaft off the smaller one. Or you can 2) carefully cut off a section of the larger shaft (DO NOT CUT OFF THE SMALLER SHAFT AT ALL) about 3/4" from the end. I made 2 cross cuts and then cut carefully around not hitting the smaller shaft to expose one of the plastic inserts. Once that is done, you can usually get the larger shaft off the smaller shaft with a BFH and thus exposing the other plastic insert that needs to be removed.
Now you should be able to slip the larger shaft back on the smaller one with relative ease.
This is a good time to start putting the steering column back in and hook everything up. I had my entire column out and managed to plug something in wrong and my truck refused to start...
You will probably have to open up the ends of the Jeep shaft slightly to slip them over the splines of the steering box as well as the end of the steering column. I used a large flat screwdriver for this and they slid on easily.
For the bolts, you can either 1) use the original bolts from the GM shaft and drill a hole in the end of the Jeep shaft that bolts to the column, or 2) you can use the original bolt from the Jeep shaft in the original place and let it cut new threads into the side of the column.
Install the Jeep bolt in the steering box end of the shaft.
And then clean up, put tools away and enjoy tighter steering. You WILL need to have the steering aligned as your wheel will be way off.
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I apologize if this gets confusing without the pics, I tried to be as straightforward as possible. Ask me if you need help and I'll do my best to try to resolve any issues you may have.
